Dwindling fossil fuel reserves and rising fuel prices give plenty of cause to look for other types of
fuel. That is why the Lille Mtropole Communaut Urbaine and transport company Transpole
decided to start using natural gas as a fuel. To that end natural gas is stored at the Transpole bus
depot in Wattrelos, near the French Belgian border. But natural gas storage can be dangerous,
for if a fire breaks out there is a very small but definite risk it might cause a devastating gas
explosion. An early warning system using thermal imaging cameras from FLIR Systems provides
the solution. By detecting a fire in an extremely early stage, likely even before the fire actually
starts, the system ensures the safety of both the Transpole employees and of the inhabitants of
the surrounding area.
In the 1990s the Lille Mtropole Communaut
Urbaine and public transport services operator
Transpole made the decision to start using
methane gas from the fermentation of sludge
processed in sewage treatment plants as a
fuel for urban buses. The aim was to reduce
fossil energy consumption and CO2, NOx and
CO emissions using local energy.
From 1994 to 1998 7 of the autobuses ran
on natural gas as an experimental test, using
natural gas from the sewage treatment plant
in the nearby Marquette. These were the first
natural gas powered buses in France. This
test showed that using natural gas was price
effective when compared to diesel and that
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The live thermal video produced by the FLIR thermal imaging is shown on two touch screens, one at the depots
entrance and another in the main office.